OSCE convenes first meeting of Multi-Agency Committee in Bosnia and Herzegovina for combating gender-based violence in South-Eastern Europe

On 30 November 2021, the OSCE convened the first meeting of the Multi-Agency Committee in Bosnia and Herzegovina, established as part of its project Enhancing Criminal Justice Capacities for Combating Gender-based Violence in South-Eastern Europe.

The OSCE project aims to enhance the capacities of criminal justice systems in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia to prevent and combat gender-based violence and increase the public’s trust in criminal justice responses.

The Committee will ensure that the project activities comply with national strategies and other existing programmes and minimize duplication of efforts. The first meeting focused on the project’s strategy and its implementation in co-ordination with local stakeholders to tailor its activities to the needs of the countries.

Representatives of the OSCE Secretariat, the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Center for Judicial and Prosecutorial Training of the Republika Srpska, the Center for Judicial and Prosecutorial Training of the Federation of BiH, Criminal Police Sector of FBiH, Brčko District Police and the Ministry of the Interior of Republika Srpska attended the meeting.

On 8 December 2021, the project team will conduct an online meeting with the remaining Committee members, representing the Prosecutor's Office of Brčko District, the Agency for Gender Equality of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Center for Judicial and Prosecutorial Training of FBiH, Police of Brčko District and the Basic Court in Bijeljina.

The project is currently being implemented with the financial support of Germany, Norway, Finland, and France, and will run until 2024.